Shrewsbury Town v Doncaster preview: Let’s make our home a fortress – Steve Arnold
Steve Arnold knows there is no better time to turn Montgomery Waters Meadow into a fortress.
The goalkeeper insists Shrewsbury must do all they can to reap the benefits of playing in front of their own fans, beginning with this week’s double-header.
Sam Ricketts’ men are presented with an instant opportunity to build on a rare away league win – just their second of the season – picked up against the odds at Peterborough on Saturday.
Like Peterborough, tonight’s visitors Doncaster are bidding for promotion. Rovers currently occupy the final play-off spot, although they boast a couple of games in hand due to their FA Cup exertions.
In contrast to their struggles on the road, Salop have been significantly better in SY2 this season. They sit 13th in the home form table. A seventh win in 17 league games would see them jump into the top half of those particular rankings.
“That place has been rocking, we saw it in the FA Cup games,” said Arnold, who was playing for National League Barrow last season.
“We’ve got to do that for them now at home. That’s a big thing for us. We’ve got to make it a little fortress again. It’s got to be, with 13 games left, each one of them is going to be a little cup final.
Shrewsbury versus Doncaster, Town’s game in hand, is the only fixture in League One tonight. Three points would lift them up to 17th and Ricketts will want his charges to build on the confidence and momentum of three matches unbeaten.
But the keeper is unmoved at the prospect of holding a game in hand. He added: “It’s all well and good saying we have the game in hand but until the points are on the board, that’s when it matters.
“We’ve got to go into that game 100 miles per hour, like we did from Saturday. Take the confidence from then and take it into tonight and I think we’ll be alright.”
Shrews have taken five points from the last nine available to help them climb out of the bottom four.
Arnold said: “From Bristol Rovers onwards it felt that ‘yes – we’re solid now’.
“It shows our desire as well, to want to get out the situation we’re in. It’s been a hard season for everyone, I feel.
“With the sacking of the old gaffer, the new gaffer coming in and finding players and whatever. It’s really showed.
“We’re just happy to get a win.”
Grant McCann’s Doncaster have lost just once in seven games in all competitions – and that was against Premier League Crystal Palace.
The Keepmoat side have lost just once in League One in 2019, but have also only won once away this year.
They pose a significant threat through 22-goal top scorer John Marquis, the evergreen James Coppinger and on-loan Leeds starlet Mallik Wilks, who has 12 goals from the flanks.
Arnold, 29, is understandably pleased with his own form.
Having won the No.1 shirt from Huddersfield loanee Joel Coleman earlier this season, he remains first choice despite the additions of Reice Charles-Cook and Jonathan Mitchell.
He said: “I think goalkeeping is very strong at the minute.
“We’ve got competition from Cookie and Jonny who has come in and done very well.
“It’s been tough but they’re pushing me the whole way. I’ve got to keep going, grinding out results and we’ll see what happens.”
